Life vest and method of making same



March 5, 1968 J. H. I E BLANC, JR 3,371,363

LIFE VEST AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Aug. 11, 1965 March 5, 1968 J. H. LE BLANC, JR 3,371,363

LIFE VEST AND METHOD OF MAKING vSAME 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. ll, 1965 INVENTOR JOSEPH H. LeBLANC.Jr.

' @MW A ORNEYS United States Patent 3,37i,363 LIFE VEST AND ME'IHQD UF MAKING SAME Sosep'n H. Le Blanc, Ir., New Qrleans, La., assigner, by mesne assignments, to Tapeten, Inc., Fairfield, Calif., a corporation of Nevada Filed Aug. 11, 1965, Ser. No. 478,904 31 Claims. (Cl. 9-333) ABSTRACT F THE DISCLUSURE This disclosure relates to life Vests and the method of making a life vest 'by providing a sheet of buoyant material which is of predetermined size and configuration, and cutting that sheet of buoyant material into desired material portions, which portions comprise life vest components, with none of the buoyant material being wasted. The buoyant material portions have been arranged to provide a vest chest portion and a vest neck portion, with a head opening therebetween. The opening may be of keyhole configuration, and may terminate short of the bottom of the vest. The vest is then covered with a suitable covering material which provides a hinging effect at junctures of the various portions of buoyant material.

This invention relates to a life preserver and a method of making a life preserver. More particularly this invention relates to a unique life preserver of the type that is formed from a slabbed buoyant material and fits around a wearers neck in the form of a vest, the lower portion of which is strapped to a wearers chest.

In previously known life preservers of the type described, there has existed the problem of the slabbed materials undesirable exertion of pressures on the back of a wearers head when the wearer is not water-borne.

Another problem existing in known life preservers of the type described has been the economic loss accruing from the useless waste portions of the slabbed material which have resulted from the previously known methods for manufacturing such preservers. These losses have been particularly associated with those portions of the slabbed material removed to form the opening for a wearers head.

In accordance with this invention a novel method of forming a slabbed buoyant material and of assembling the material so formed to produce a novel life preserver or vest has been found which overcomes both of the above-noted problems.

It is, therefore, a primary object of this invention to provide a novel life preserver of the type described, wherein said preserver does not normally exert pressure against the back of a wearers head, but is free to do so in reaction to waters buoyant forces when a wearer is waterborne.

It is an additional object of this invention to provide a novel method for manufacturing a life preserver o the type described, wherein there is no wasting of the slabbed material.

Yet another object of this invention is to 4provide a life vest comprising at least two slabs of buoyant material hinged in opposing edge-to-edge relationship, wherein said slabs define at their opposed edges an opening through which a wearers head may be projected to locate a first of said slabs behind a wearers head and a second of said slabs across a wearers chest.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a reversible life vest comprised of at least two slabs of buoyant material hinged in opposing edge-to-edge relationship wherein said slabs dene at their opposing edges an opening through which a wearers head may be projected to locate a first of said slabs behind a wearers head and a second of said slabs across a wearers chest and wherein there are further included iiexible cover means encasing said slabs and constituting the hinge connection between said opposing edges and a waistband secured to said cover means and being selectively extensible from one longitudinal edge thereof around a torso of a wearer and being engageable with mating attachment means mounted on the opposite longitudinal face portions of said cover means for releasably securing said vest about the wearers torso.

It is an additional object of this invention to provide a life vest comprised of at least three slabs of buoyant material hinged in opposed edge-to-edge relationship wherein said slabs define at their opposing edges a substantially keyhole-shaped opening through which a Wearers head may be projected to locate a iirst and second of said slabs across a wearers chest and a third of said slabs behind a wearers head.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a waste-free method forming three slabs of buoyant material which, without further division thereof, can be hinged together in an opposing edge-to-edge relationship to provide a life vest having an opening through which a head of a wearer of that vest may be projected to locate a first of said slabs behind a wearers head and a second and third of said slabs across a wearers chest.

With the above and other objects in View that will hereinater appear, the nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by reference to the following detailed description, the appended claimed subject matter, and the several views illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE l is a perspective view of the life Vest according to the invention and is illustrative of the manner in which it is intended to be worn by a wearer;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of a life vest constructed according to the invention;

FIGURE 3 is an exploded View ofthe sections of material by which a cover means may be formed for a life vest in accordance with the invention;

FIGURE 4 is an exploded view of the formed slabs of buoyant material which may be included in a life vest constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIGURE 4A illustrates a modified construction of the slabs shown in FIGURE 3, wherein said slabs may be formed of multiple layers joined by a suitable adhesive;

FIGURE 5 illustrates a waste-free method of forming the slabs shown in FIGURE 4, wherein an upper one of said slabs may be formed of a iirst continuous slab of buoyant material and the lower two of said slabs may be formed from a second continuous slab of buoyant material;

FIGURE 6 illustrates a waste-free method of forming the slabs shown in FIGURE 4 wherein all of the slabs shown in FIGURE 4 may be formed from a single continuous slab of buoyant material;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 7-7 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 8 8 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURES 9-11 are enlarged perspective views, partly in cross-section, illustrating in detail the manner in which the sections of material shown in FIGURE 3 are joined together to form a cover means for the life vest constructed according to the invention; and

FIGURES 12-15 are similar to FIGURES 4 and 6, and illustrate alternative waste-free methods for forming the slabs of buoyant material which may be included in a life vest constructed in accordance with this invention from a single continuous slab of buoyant material.

Referring to the drawings in detail and in particular to FIGURES 1-2 and 7-8 there is shown a life vest generally designated constructed according to the invention. The life vest 20 has a generally rectangular shape and includes a plurality of slabs generally designated 21 through 23 formed of a low density material which provides maximum buoyancy. The shape of the slabs 21-23 of the preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in detail in FIGURES 4 and 4A and their particular cor1- struction will be described in detail later.

The slabs 21-23 are enclosed by a cover means generally designated 24 which is constructed from a plurality of cover sections 25-29 which are preferably fabricated from a exible porous cloth or sheet material. The shape of the cover sections 25-29 and their mode of assembly to form the cover means 24 is shown in detail in FIGURES 3 and 9-11 and will be described in detail hereinafter.

Both the slabs 21-23 and the cover means 24 are formed to provide an opening generally designated in the vest 20 through which the head of a wearer may be projected (as seen in FIGURE 1) to locate an upper portion generally designated 31 of the vest 20, including the upper perimeter of the opening 30, behind the head of a wearer, and a lower portion generally designated 32 of the vest 20 across the chest of a wearer. The opening 30 has the general configuration of a keyhole, the slotted section of which is extended along the central longitudinal axis of the vest 20 in a direction opposite from the upper edge of said vest. In a relaxed state, the unslotted portion of the keyhole-shaped opening 30 is of such a size as to accommodate the neck of a wearer while being smaller than the head of a wearer. The slotted section of the keyhole-shaped opening 30 is made of a sutiicient length to permit the opening to be temporarily spread to allow passage of a wearers head, and may terminate short of the lower end 44 of the vest as is illustrated in FIGURE 2.

A waistband 33 transversely encompasses and is attached to the cover means 24. The upper edge of the waistband 33 intersects the slotted section of the keyhole-shaped opening 30 at the latters lower terminal end. One end of the waistband 33 extends freely from a longitudinal edge 34 of the vest 20 forming a strap 35. The strap 35 is selectively extensible around the torso of a wearer and is provided with a snap-hook 36 which is selectively engageable with a pair of D-rings 37, 37' mounted by the waistband 33 to opposite longitudinal face portions 67, 68 of the cover means 24 to attach the vest 2() to a wearers torso. Adjustment means (not shown) are provided for varying the location of the snaphook 36 on the strap 35 to accommodate the particular torso dimension of a wearer.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the slabs 21-23 are formed of unicellular polyvinylchloride foam. The slabs 21-23 may be formed of a single layer or (as seen in FIGURE 4A) may be formed of multiple layers 22a, 22b, 22C joined together by a suitable adhesive, e.g. vinyl adhesive.

Each of the slabs 21-23 is formed in the shape shown in FIGURE 4 and said slabs 21-23 are arranged within the cover means 24 in an edge-to-edge relationship as illustrated in FIGURE 2, with an upper slab 21 of the slabs 21-23 being located only in the upper portion 31 of the vest 20 and the lower slabs 22 and 23 of the slabs 21-23 being located only in the lower portion 32 of the vest 20.

The upper slab 21 is generally rectangular in shape and is provided with an upper edge 39, the length of which is slightly shorter than the desired width of the vest 20 and with two side edges 40 and 41, the lengths of which are slightly shorter than the desired length of the upper portion 31 of the vest 20. The lower edge 42 of the upper slab 21 is provided with a recess 43 which is of a size slightly larger than the upper one-half of the perimeter of the unslotted portion of the opening 30.

The lower slabs 22 and 23 are substantially identical and are generally rectangular in shape. Each of the lower slabs 22 and 23 is provided with a lower edge 44, the length of which is equal to one-half of the length of the upper edge 39 of the upper slab 21, and with an outer side edge 45, the length of which is slightly shorter than the desired length of the lower portion 32 of the vest 20. Each of the lower slabs 12 and 23 is provided with an upper edge 46 and an inner side edge 47 which intersect at a corner 48 that is shaped to define a lower onequarter of the unslotted portion of the opening 30.

According to the invention, a waste-free method is provided (as seen in FIGURE 6) whereby the slabs 21-23 may be formed from a continuous slab 49 of buoyant material having a width approximately equal to the desired length of the vest 20. This method, comprises the steps of providing a rectangular-shaped single slab 50 by separating said single slab 50 from the continuous slab 49 along a continuous severance line 51 across the width of said continuous slab 49 and dividing said single slab 50 into only the three slabs 21-23 -by simultaneously separating the upper slab 21 from said single slab 50 along a continuous severance line 52, while defining the recessed lower edge 42 of said upper slab 21 and the upper edge 46 and corner 4S of each of the lower slabs 22 and 23, and by bisecting the remainder of the single slab S0 along a continuous severance line 53 defining the outer side edge 45 of each of the lower slabs 22 and 23.

Also, according to the invention, an alternative wastefree method of forming the three slabs 21-23 is provided (as illustrated in FIGURE 5) whereby the upper slab 21 may be formed from a first generally rectangular-shaped continuous slab 54 having a width approximately equal twice the desired length of the upper portion 21 of the vest 20, and the lower slabs 22 and 23 may be formed from a rectangular-shaped continuous slab of buoyant material 55 having a width approximately equal to one-half the desired width of the vest 20.

According to this alternative method, the upper slab 21 is formed by simultaneously dividing said slab S4 along a first continuous severance line 56 passing generally along the longitudinal central axis of said slab 54, while defining the lower recessed edge 42 of the rst slab 21 and onehalf of the lower edges of two slabs 21', 21" identical to said slab 21 and, then, detaching the first slab 21 from the remainder of the continuous slab 54 along a second severance line 57 perpendicular to said longitudinal axis and intersecting the first severance line 56 at a point where it defines the center of one of the lower edges of the identical slabs 21, 21.

In further accordance with this alternative method, the lower sla-bs 22 and 23 may be formed by separating a single slab 58 having a length which is approximately equal to twice the desired length of the lower portion 32 of the vest 20 from the continuous slab 55 along a severance line 59 across the width of said continuous slab 55 and, then, in dividing the single slab 58 into two equal parts along a continuous severance line 60 across its width, simultaneously forming the lower slabs 22 and 23 and the corner 40 of each of said lower slabs 22. and 23.

According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, slabs 21-23, as formed by either of the above-described methods, may, then, without any further division thereof, be arranged in an opposing edge-to-edge relationship (as `shown in FIGURES 12 and 7-8). The upper slab 21 is located only in the upper portion 31 of the vest 20 and the lower slabs 22 and 23 are located only in the lower portion 32 of the vest 20. The lower edge 42 of the upper slab 21 opposes the upper edges 46 of the lower slabs 22 and 23. The inner edges 47 of the lower slabs 22 and 23 oppose one another, being shown with exaggerated spacing in FIGURE 2 for clarity, and are disposed on opposite sides of the longitudinal central yaxis of the vest 20. The corners 48 of the lower slabs 22 and 23 face one another and the recess 43 of the lower edge 42 of the upper slab 21. The cover means 24 is made of a suiciently large dimension that the slabs 21-23, as so arranged, are free within said cover means 24 to pivot about planes located between their opposing edges. The cover means 24 thus constitutes a hinge connection between the edge-to-edge related slabs 21-23.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention Ithe cover means 24 is constructed from the ve cover sections 25- 29 of a flexible porous cloth or sheet material that tends to dry quickly when removed from the water. As noted above, the dimensions of lthe cover sections 25-29 should be such that, when assembled, they will form a cover means 24 of suicient dimension to permit the slabs 21-23 arranged therein in the above described edge-toedge relationship freedom to pivot abo-ut their opposing edges.

The shape of the cover sections 25-29 is clearly shown in FIGURE 3. The sections 25 and 27 are of essentially identical dimensions and are generally rectangular in shape. Both the cover sections 25 and 27 Iare severed along a severance line 61 which is substantially equal in length to the slotted section of the opening 30. The severance line 61 extends upwa-rdly from the lower edge of each of said cover sections 25 and 27 along their longitudinal central axes and intersects the center of the lower perimeter of an aperture 62, the perimeter of said aperture 62 being slightly greater than the dimension of the unslotted portion of the opening 30. The sec-tions 25 and 27 are joined together along their outer side edges 63 and 64 and along their upper edges 65 by stitching or other suitable means (as shown in FIGURES 2, 3 and 8-11) forming an upper edge 66 of the vest 20 and the major portion of the longitudinal edges 34 and 38 and the opposite longitudinal face portions 67 and 68 of the cover means 24.

The edges of the sections 25 and 27 which border upon the aperture 62 and the severance line 61 are joined together by the cover section 29 which is joined along its longitudinal edges by stitching or other suitable means (as shown in FIGURES 7-10) to those edge portions of cover sections 25 and 27 which border on the aperture 62 :and the severance line 61.

The cover section 29 is generally rectangularly-shaped, save for its opposite transverse edge 69 and 7G which are relieved for a purpose that will vbe described below, and is arranged with the major portion of its face foming the surface ot the keyhole-shaped opening 30, but with small longitudinal edge portions thereof being folded over to form the longitudinal face portions of the cover means 24 which surround the keyhole-shaped opening 3).

The cover sections 26 and 28 are rectangularly-shaped and are of substantially identical dimensions. As shown in FIGURES 2, 3 and 8, these cover sections 26 and 28 are joined together by stitching or other suitable means along their side edges 71 and 72 and their lower edges 73. The cover sections 26 and 28 are attached to the cover sections 25, 27 and 29 by mating their open upper edges 74 with the open edges 69, 7) and 75 of the cover sections 25, 27 and 29 and joining these mated edges together by stitching or other suitable means. rEhe connection of the cover sections 25-29 is further reinforced by Lhe waistband 33 which transversely encompasses and is joined to the cover means 24 by stitching or other suitable means as shown in FIGURES 2, 8 and 9. As is particularly shown in FIGURE 9, the relieved edges 69 and 70 of the cover section 29 permit stitching of the waistband 33 to continue uninterrupted across the face portions 67 and `68 of the cover means 24, allowing previously stitched lip portions 29a to lie ilat as stitching of the waistband 33 is made. As previously described, the upper edge of the waistband 33 intersects the slotted portion of the keyhole-shaped opening 30 at the latters lower terminal end. As best shown in FIG- URE 8, the cover sections 26 and 28 from the longitudinal edges 34 and 38 and the face portions `67 and 68 of the cover means 24 which are located below the waistband 33.

The invention is extremely simple to use. When it is desired to use the device, the wearer will exert opposite forces primarily along the transverse axis of the keyholeshaped opening 30 temporarily spreading the opening along its slotted portion. With the opening 30 thus ternporarily spread, the wearer places his head therethrough. Once the wearers head is through the opening, the transverse force is removed and, since the vest 20 is formed of resilient material, the opening 30 will return to its relaxed state, retaining the vest about the wearers head. As seen in FIGURE 1, this locates the upper portion 31 of the vest 20 behind the wearers head and the lower portion 32 of the vest 20 across the chest of the wearer. The vest 20 is further secured to the wearers body by drawing the strap 35 tightly around the torso of the wearer and engaging the snap-hook 36 with whichever of the D-rings 37, 37' that is farthest away from the wearers chest. The freedom of the lower slabs 22 and 23 within cover means 24 to pivot about their edges 47 permits the wearer to obtain a snug t of the vest to his chest. Since the strap 35 extends from the center of the longitudinal edge 34 of the cover means 24 and since the mating D-rings 37, 37' for the snap-hook 36 are available on either of the longitudinal face portions 67, 68 of the vest 20, it is apparent that the wearer may insert his head through either side of the keyhole-shaped opening 36 and that the vest 20 is, thus, reversible.

While it is advantageous for the upper portion 31 of the vest 20 to conform snugly around the head of a water-borne wearer, such snug conformation is not necessary and is, in fact, uncomfortable to a wearer who is not water-borne. rlhe unnecessary discomfort to a wearer is overcome by the invention, wherein the upper slab 21 is free within the cover means 24 to pivot transversely about a transverse plane located between its lower edge 42 and the upper edges 46 of the lower slabs 22 and 23. The invention, as shown in FIGURE l, appears as it would be worn by a wearer who is not water-borne. However, it should be readily understood that, when a wearer enters the water, the upper portion 31 of the vest will be pivoted by waters buoyant forces about the abovedescribed transverse plane between the opposing lower and upper edges of the slabs 21-23 into snug conformation with the back of the wearers head.

It is to be understood that while in the preferred form of the invention, as described above, the unslotted portion of the substantially keyhole-shaped opening 30 is substantially rectangular, this unslotted portion may also be formed of a hexagonal or diamond-shape and slabs of buoyant material similar to the slabs 21-23 may similarly be formed by a waste-free method from a single slab of buoyant material having a dimension approximately equal to the desired dimension of the life vest and said single slab may be separated from a continuous slab having a width approximately equal to the desired length of the life vest 20. Such waste-free methods for forming slabs similar to the slabs 21-23 for use in a life vest 2t) wherein the unslotted portion of the substantially keyhole-shaped opening 30 is hexagonal-shaped or diamond-shaped are illustrated in FIGURES 12-15 with the appropriate similar portions and severance lines having the suixes h (for hexagon) and d (for diamond) added thereto.

It is also to be understood that while in the preferred embodiment of the invention described hereinabove the cover means 24 constitutes the hinging means between the opposing edges of the slabs 2.1-23 these slabs may be so hinged together by various other appropriate hinging means.

It is to be further understood that, while the low density material providing maximum buoyancy referred to herein is preferably composed of unicellular polyvinylchloride foam, other materials, e.g. unicellular polyethylene or polystyrene foams or even other satisfactory foams ymay be employed.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the present invention is well-adapted to carry out the ends and objects hereinbefore set forth. While the preferred part structures and arrangements are disclosed herein, it is understood that variations in such structure and part arrangements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as outlined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A life vest comprising at least two slabs of buoyant material hinged and secured in opposing and abutting edge-to-edge relationship, said slabs defining at their opposing edges an opening through which a wearers head may be projected to locate a first of said slabs behind a wearers head and a second of said slabs across a wearers chest, said opening being substantially geometrically bisected by the piane of said abutting edges.

2. The life vest as defined in claim 1, wherein said slabs are comprised of polyvinylchloride foam.

3. The life vest as defined in claim 1, wherein said slabs are `formed of multiple layers with said layers being joined together by an adhesive.

4. The life vest as defined in claim 1, wherein there is further included means for releasably securing said vest about the torso of a wearer.

S. The life vest as defined in claim 1, wherein there is further included a flexible cover means encasing said slabs and constituting the hinge connection between the edge-to-edge abutting slabs.

6. The life vest as defined in claim 5, wherein there is further included a waistband secured to said cover means and being selectively extensible from one longitudinal edge thereof around the torso of a wearer and being engageable with mating attachment means mounted on the opposite longitudinal faces of said cover means.

7. A life vest comprising at least three slabs of buoyant material one of which is hinged and `secured in opposing and abutting edge-to-edge relationship with the other two slabs, defining at their opposing edges an opening through which a wearers head may be projected to locate a first and second of said slabs across a wearers chest and a third of said slabs behind a wearers head, said opening being substantially geometrically bisected by each plane of said abutting edges.

8. The life vest as defined in claim 7, wherein said opening is substantially keyhole-shaped and -said first and second slabs are located on opposite sides of a slotted section of said opening.

9. A life vest comprising a slabbed buoyant material enclosed by a fiexible cover means, said slabbed buoyant material and cover means being formed to provide an opening through which a wearers head may be projected to locate an upper portion of the vest including fthe upper perimeter of said opening behind a wearers head and a lower portion including the lower perimeter of said opening across a wearers chest, and means for attaching said lower portion to a wearers torso, said slabbed buoyant material being transversely severed into at least two abutting parts along a transverse plane located in geometric bisecting relation with said opening between said upper and lower portions and being free within said cover means to facilitate transverse pivoting of said upper portion along said plane.

10. The life vest as defined in claim 9, wherein said buoyant material is comprised of unicellular polyvinylchloride foam.

11. The life vest as defined in claim 10, wherein said foam is formed of multiple layers with said layers being joined together' by a vinyl adhesive.

12, A life vest comprising slabbed buoyant material enclosed by a flexible cover means, said vest being generally of parallelepiped configuration, said cover means and buoyant material being formed to provide a substantially keyhole-shaped opening having an enlarged portion and a slotted portion through which a wearers head may be projected to locate a lower portion of the vest including the slotted portion of said opening over a wearers chest and an upper portion of the vest including the upper perimeter of said opening behind a wearers head, and means affixed to said cover means for attaching said lower portion to a wearers torso, said slabbed buoyant material being transversely severed into at least two parts along a transverse plane located between said upper and lower portions and being free within said cover means to facilitate transverse pivoting of said upper portion along said plane, and said upper and lower parts of slabbed material having surfaces in abutting relation.

13. The life vest as defined in claim 12, wherein the slabbed buoyant material which is located in said lower portion is severed into at least two parts along a plane defined by the longitudinal central axis of said slotted section.

14. The life vest as defined in claim 13, wherein said slabbed buoyant material is resilient and t-he unslotted perimeter of said substantially keyhole-shaped opening is in its relaxed state smaller than a wearcrs head.

1S. A reversible life vest of parallelepiped configuration comprising a slabbed buoyant material enclosed by a flexible cover means, said slabbed buoyant material being formed to provide an opening through which a wearers head may be projected to locate an upper portion of the vest including the upper perimeter of said opening behind a wearers head and a lower portion of the vest including the lower perimeter of said opening across a wearers chest, and la waistband secured to said cover means and being selectively extensible from one longitudinal edge thereof around the torso of a wearer and being engageable with mating attachment means mounted on the opposite longitudinal faces of said cover means, said slabbed buoyant material being transversely severed into at least two parts along a transverse plane substantially geometrically bisecting the opening located between said upper and lower portions and being free within said cover means to facilitate transverse pivoting of said upper portion along said plane.

16. A life vest having normally parallel planar front and rear surfaces when said vest is unattached to the body of a wearer, comprising at least three slabs of buoyant material enclosed by a exible cover means, said slabs and cover means being formed to provide a substantially keyhole-shaped opening through which a wearers head may be projected to locate a lower portion of said vest including a slotted section of said opening across a wearers chest and an upper portion of said vest including the upper perimeter of said opening behind a wearers head, and means for attaching said lower p0rtion of a wearers torso, wherein a rst and second of said slabs of buoyant material are located only in said lower portion with their inner longitudinal edges disposed opposing one another along the longitudinal central axis of said slotted section and a third of said slabs is located only in said upper portion with its lower transverse edges disposed opposing and abutting the upper transverse edges of said first and second slabs adjacent thereto and wherein said slabs are free within said cover means to facilitate transverse pivoting of said upper portion along a plane located between said transverse edges.

17. The life vest as defined in claim 16, wherein said three slabs of buoyant material are formed by dividing a single slab of buoyant material into only said three slabs, none of said single slab being wasted.

18. The life vest as defined in claim 16, wherein said first and second slabs of buoyant material are formed by dividing a single slab of buoyant material into only said first and second slabs, none of Said single slab being wasted.

19. A life vest comprising at least three slabs of buoyant material enclosed by a flexible cover means, said slabs and cover means being formed to provide a substantially keyhole-shaped opening through which a wearers head may be projected to locate a lower portion of said vest including a slotted section of said opening across a wearers chest and an upper portion of said vest including the upper perimeter of said opening behind a wearers head, and means for attaching said lower portion of a wearers torso, wherein a first and second of said slabs of buoyant material are located only in sai-d lower portion with their inner longitudinal edges disposed opposing one another along the longitudinal center axis of said slotted section and a third of said slabs is located only in said upper portion with its lower transverse edges disposed opposing theupper transverse edges of said first and second slabs adjacent thereto and wherein said slabs are free within said cover means to facilitate transverse pivoting of said upper portion along a plane located between said transverse edges, wherein the width of each of said first and second slabs is equal to one-half the width of said third slab and the dimension of the perimeter of the substantially keyhole-shaped opening less said slotted section is substantially equal to twice the width of said third slab.

20. A life vest comprising at least three slabs of buoyant material enclosed by a iiexible cover means, said slabs and cover means being formed to provide a substantially keyhole-shaped opening through which a wearers head may be projected to locate a lower portion of said vest including a slotted section of said opening across a wearers chest and an upper portion of said vest including the upper perimeter of said opening behind a wearers head, and means for attaching said lower portion of a wearers torso, wherein a rst and second of said slabs of :buoyant material are located only in said lower portion with their inner longitudinal edges disposed opposing one another along the longitudinal center axis of said slotted section and a third of said slabs is located only in said upper portion with its lower transverse edges disposed opposing the upper transverse edges of said first and second slabs adjacent thereto and wherein said slabs are free within said cover means to facilitate transverse pivoting of said upper portion along a plane located between said transverse edges, wherein said cover means includes first and second cover sections, said cover sections being substantially identical to one another and being generally rectangular in shape, each of said cover sections being severed along a severance line substantially equal in length to said slotted section, said severance line extending upwardly rom a lower edge of each of said cover sections along their longitudinal central axes and intercepting the center of the lower perimeter of an aperture provided in each of said cover sections, the perimeter of said aperture being slightly smaller than the dimension of the perimeter of said substantially keyhole-shaped opening less said slotted section, and wherein said first and second cover sections are joined together along their edges formed by said apertures and severance lines by a third cover section which is generally rectangular in shape save for being notched at its opposite transverse edges and which forms the inner surface of sai-d substantially keyholeshaped opening.

21. A method of fabricating a life vest comprising the steps of providing a single uniform thickness aperturefree slab of buoyant material which is of approximately the desired outline dimensions of said life vest, dividing said single slab into only three waste-free parts, which, without any further division thereof, can be arranged in an opposing edge to edge relationship to provide an opening through which a head of a wearer of said vest may be projected to locate a first and second of said parts across a wearers chest and a third of said parts behind a wearers head, and hinging said three parts without any further division thereof in said edge to edge relationship.

22. A method of fabricating a life vest comprising the steps of providing a single uniform thickness aperturefree slab of buoyant material slightly smaller than the desired outline dimensions of said vest, ldividing said single slab into only three waste-free parts which can, without any further division thereof, be arranged in an edge-to-edge relationship to provide an opening through which a head of a wearer of said vest may be projected to locate a first and second of said parts across a wearers chest and a third of said parts behind a wearers head, and enclosing said three parts without any further division thereof in said edge-to-edge relationship within a cover means of a suflicient dimension that said parts are free within it to pivot about planes located between their opposing edges.

23. A method of fabricating a life vest comprising the steps of providing a single uniform thickness aperturefree slab of buoyant material slightly smaller than the desired outline dimensions of said vest, `forming a cover means for said slab which is of the desired dimension of said vest and is provided with an opening through which a head of a wearer of said vest may be projected to locate an upper portion of said vest behind a wearers head and a lower portion of said vest across a wearers chest, dividing said single slab into only three waste-free parts, and enclosing said three parts without any further division thereof within said cover means in an edge-to-edge relationship conforming around said opening locating a first of said three parts only in said upper portion and a second and third of said three parts only in said lower portion.

24. A method of fabricating a life vest having a neck hole therein comprising the steps of: providing a rectangular-shaped single slab of buoyant material of approximately the desired dimension of said vest; dividing said single slab into only three parts by separating a first of said three parts from said single slab along a continuous severance line across the width of said single slab, said line dening in said first of said three parts a lower edge having a recess approximately one-half the size of the opening and said line defining in the remainder of said single slab an upper edge, and by bisecting said remainder along its length; rotating each portion of the bisected remainder degrees about its length; and, without any further division of said three parts of buoyant material, hinging together said three parts in an edgeto-edge relationship with said lower edge of said iirst part opposing said upper edge of said remainder.

2S. The method as defined in claim 24, wherein said providing of said single slab is performed by separating said single slab from a continuo-us slab of buoyant material having a width substantially equal to the desired length of said vest along a severance line across the width of said continuous slab minus one-half said neck hole size.

26. A waste-free method of forming three slabs of buoyant material which, without further division thereof, can be hinged together in an opposing edge-to-edge relationship to provide a life vest having an opening through which a head of a wearer of the vest may be projected to locate a first of said slabs behind a wearers head and a second and third of said slabs across a `wearers chest, comprising the steps of providing a rectangular-shaped single slab of buoyant material which is of approximately the desired dimension of the life vest and dividing said single slab into only three parts by separating a first of said three parts from said single slab along a continuous severance line across the width of said single slab, said line defining in said first of said three parts a lower edge having a recess approximately one-half the size of the opening and said line defining in the remainder of said single slab an upper edge, and by bisecting said remainder along its length.

27. The method as defined in claim 26, wherein said providing of said single slab is performed by separating said single slab from a continuous slab of buoyant material having a width approximately equal to the desired 1 1 length of said vest along a severance line across the width of said continuous slab.

28. A method of fabricating a life vest having an opening through which a head of a wearer of said vest may be projected to locate an upper portion of said vest behind a wearers head and a lower portion of said vest across a wearers chest, comprising the steps of: forming a generally rectangular-shaped first slab of buoyant material having an upper edge approximately equal to the desired width of said vest, side edges approximately equal to the length of said upper portion, and a lower edge provided with a recess defining an upper one-half of said opening; forming generally rectangular-shaped second and third slabs of buoyant material each of which has a side edge approximately equal to the desired length of said lower portion, a bottom edge equal to one-half the desired width of said jacket, and a corner shaped to define a lower one-quarter of said opening; and, without further division of said buoyant material, hinging together said slabs in an edge-to-edge relationship with said corners facing one another and said recess.

29. The method as defined in claim 28, wherein said forming of said second and third slabs is performed by the steps of providing a single slab of buoyant material having a width approximately equal to one-half the desired width of said vest and a length approximately equal to twice the desired length of said lower portion and simultaneously forming said corners and dividing said single slab into two equal parts along a continuous severance line across the width of said single slab.

30. The method as defined in claim 28 wherein said forming of said first slab is performed by the steps of providing a rectangular-shaped continuous slab of buoyant material having a width approximately equal to twice the desired length of said upper portion, defining said lower edge of said rst slab and one-half of the lower edges of two slabs identical to it by dividing said single slab along a first severance line passing generally along the longitudinal central axis of said continuous slab, and detaching said first slab from the remainder of said continuous slab along a second severance line perpendicular to said longitudinal axis and intersecting said first severance line at a point where it defines the center of one of said lower edges of one of said identical slabs.

31. The life vest as defined in claim 12, wherein said slotted portion extends only partially longitudinally of said vest lower portion, terminating short of a lower end thereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 509,770 11/1893 Scott 83-32 X 1,295,667 2/1919 Ziman 9--333 2,477,890 8/1949 Montagna 33-12 2,629,118 2/1953 Frieder et al. 9-333 3,167,794 2/1965 Brown 9-338 3,181,183 3/1965 Allen 9-333 3,193,856 6/1965 Coolidge 9-337 3,247,531 1/1962 Baker 9-345 X FOREIGN PATENTS 1,121,964 1/1962 Germany.

MILTON BUCHLER, Primary Examiner.

T. W. BUCKMAN, Assistant Examiner. 

